South County San Diego youth baseball teams are no stranger to success at the elite levels of the game, and that hasn’t been limited to just the area’s cadre of Little League teams.
Chula Vista North won the 2010 PONY Baseball Pony-13 World Series title and teams from the region have regularly advanced deep into qualifying ever since. This year, Chula Vista South and Kimball Park (National City) are carrying the torch for South County teams in post-season play.
Chula Vista South and Kimball Park are competing in the Pony-13 West Zone tournament in Whittier – one step from advancing to the Pony-13 World Series – while Kimball Park is competing in the Pony-14 super region tournament in Long Beach.
Chula Vista South’s Pony-13 team has gone undefeated in three tournaments so far in all-star tournament play, winning championship banners at the section, regional and super region levels.
The manager of the CVS team is Valetin Luna. The team opens play in the zone tournament at 4 p.m. Friday, July 24, against Southeast Valley, Utah at the Whittier Pony fields.
The winner advances to play the winner of Friday’s1:30 p.m. contest between Pacifica and Kimball Park on Saturday, July 25, at 4:30 p.m. in Whittier.
The losers of the two Friday games meet in a consolation bracket game on Saturday, July 25, at 11:30 a.m., again in Whittier..
The eight-team double-elimination tournament will crown its champion on Monday, July 27. Other teams entered in this year’s field include Scottsdale (Ariz.), South Sound (Wash.), Riverside and Hilo (Hawaii).
Chula Vista South league president Omar Castro said most of the boys on this year’s Pony-13 all-star team were on CV South’s 12-year-old Bronco all-star team that placed fourth in the zone tournament last year.
“Hopefully, this year we make it past zone into the World Series,” Castro said. “We are looking to get over the hump this year and make it to the World Series.”
The Chula Vista South roster includes Emilio Luna, Antonio Garcia, Eric Nakano, Bradley Mookini, Keoni Cavaco, Arnold Escano, Jake Rose, Bubba Villegas, Diego Martinez, Christian Vasquez, Fisher Pyatt, Humberto Perez and Leo Merino. Coaches include Brad Nakano and Ivan Proia.
The National City teams’ postseason odyssey has been nothing but spectacular for a first-year program.
Kimball Park defeated La Jolla, 5-2, to capture this year’s Southwest region championship July 14 at Lakeside Pony. Both teams, along with third-place finisher Ramona, advanced to this week’s super region tournament in West Covina and Long Beach.
Southwest Region Director Keith Spencer said that while there has been a National City PONY league in the past, this is a new program out of Kimball Park.
“The league started this season with four PONY teams and played a tough inter-league schedule throughout San Diego County along with their internal regular season schedule,” Spencer explained. “Plans are already in the works to offer Mustang and Bronco divisions in 2016.”
Southwest Region South Section director Willie Lessier also offered congratulations to Chula Vista South – and Kimball Park’s National City entrant.
“I’m very proud of National City,” Lessier said. “It’s their first year under a new board.”
Making their way
The Chula Vista South and National City (Kimball Park) Pony-13 teams began play in Ramona on June 18. Chula Vista South was the section champion at that tournament with National City finishing in third place. The top three teams then advanced to the Pony-13 region tournament in Lakeside.
Chula Vista South won the region championship and National City finished in third place. The top three teams advanced to the super region tournament.
The super region tournament is a 16-team double-elimination tournament featuring teams from throughout Southern California. Chula Vista South captured the super region championship and National City was able place second. The top two teams advanced to the zone tournament at Whittier.
The zone tournament includes teams from Southern California, Hawaii, Washington, Northern California, Arizona and Utah. The winner of the Pony-13 zone tournament will advance to the Pony-13 World Series in Whittier against teams from Mexico, California, the Philippines, the Caribbean and the other four zones in the United States.
While Chula Vista South has been the dominant team in all three tournaments to date, finishing unbeaten in any tournament, first-year PONY affiliate Kimball Park has played outstanding baseball, Spencer noted.
“The success of the two teams will surely help grow the program in National City,” he said.
The 15 players on Kimball Park’s PONY-14 all-star team included James Dalton, Daniel Gonzalez, Alex Guerrero, Rafa Sandoval, Alec Jimenez, Joseph Mendez, Justin Mulvany, Jonathan Pardinas, Cesar Rodriguez, Carlos Rodriguez, Omar Vega, Daniel Zepeda, Joshua Zuñiga, Joel Dominguez and David Dalton.
Kimball Park manager Chris Pardinas called the team’s run through three tournaments “a great season.”
“I had a great team; they worked hard on making this happen,” he said. “I am very proud of each and everyone of them. I thank the coaches (Jim Dalton and Eddie Jimenez) for giving their time and getting the team prepared for each game, and also the parents for giving their time taking the kids to practice and supporting them.
“I also want to thank our league president, Rick Piche, for always being there supporting us. And, for all this support and hard work, our team won second place in section, first place in region and made it to super region.”
Scoreboard update
Pony-13 West Zone Tournament
Chula Vista South 6, Southeast Valley (Utah) 0
Pacifica 6, National City 5
Pony-14 Super Region Tournament
Norwalk 10, National City 0
PONY-13 WEST ZONE TOURNAMENT
Whitter Pony Field
Friday, July 24
Scottsdale (Ariz.) 10, South Sound (Wash.) 5
Hilo (Hawaii) 8, Riverside 5
Pacifica 6, National City 5
Chula Vista South 6, Southeast Valley (Utah) 0
Saturday, July 25
Riverside 6, South Sound (Wsh.) 0
National City 16, Southeast Valley (Utah) 1
Hilo (Hawaii) 13, Scottsdale (Ariz. 5)
Chula Vista South 13, Pacifica 3
Sunday, July 26
Riverside 15, Scottsdale (Ariz.) 2
National City 9, Pacifica 5
Hilo (Hawaii) 12, Riverside 11
Chula Vista South 9. National City 0
Monday, July 27
Championship games: Chula Vista South 6, Hilo (Hawaii) 1
Note: Chula Vista South advancxes to Pony-13 International World Series July 31 to Aug. 3 in Whittier
Pony-14 SUPER REGION TOURNAMENT
West Covina and Long Beach Pony Fields
Friday, July 24
Games at West Covina
San Bernardino 18, Santa Monica 2
La Jolla 2, West Hills 0
Covina 4, Cypress 2
West Covina 7, High Desert 5
Games at Long Beach
Heartwell 13, Ramona 6
Santa Ana 10, IWV Ridgecrest 0
Norwalk 10, National City 0
Long Beach 18, Walnut 1
Saturday, July 25
Games at West Covina
West Hills 9, Santa Monica 8
San Bernardino 19, La Jolla 0
Cypress vs. High Desert, 2 p.m.
Covina vs. West Covina, 4:30 p.m.
Games at Long Beach
Ramona 6, IWV Ridgecrest 4
Long Beach 8, Norwalk 5
National City vs. Walnut, 3 p.m.
Heartwell vs. Santa Ana, 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 26
Games at West Covina
San Bernardino 5, Covina 3
West Hills 16, West Covina 2
La Jolla 13, Cypress 3
West Hills 16, La Jolla 8
Games at Long Beach
Ramona 10, Norwalk 8
National City 4, Heartwell 1
Ramona 11, National City 10
Long Beach 3, Santa Ana 2
Monday, July 27
Covina, 6, West Hills 0
Ramona 10, Santa Ana 9
Championship game: Long Beach 10, San Bernardino 7 (Long Beach advances to zone tournament as SoCal1 entrant)
Tuesday, July 28
Challenger bracket final: Covina 19, Ramona 9
Second-place game: San Bernardino 14, Covina 7 (San Bernardino advances to zone toournament as SoCal 2 entrant)
PONY BASEBALL ALL-STAR TOURNAMENTS
Pony-14 Section Tournament
June 21 to July 1 in Ramona
Nine teams entered (double-elimination): Emerald, La Jolla, Escondido, Tecolote, Ramona, Kimball Park (National City), Carlsbad, San Marcos, Chula Vista North
Sunday, June 21
La Jolla 10, Emerald 5
Thursday, June 25
Tecolote 21, Escondido 6
Ramona 6, La Jolla 2
Kimball Park (National City) 24, Carlsbad 9
Friday, June 26
Carlsbad 9, San Marcos 0
Chula Vista North 19, San Marcos 0
Saturday, June 27
Emerald 10, San Marcos 2
Emerald 3, Escondido 2
La Jolla 6, Carlsbad 3
Ramona 14, Tecolote 4
Sunday, June 28
Kimball Park (National City) 12, Chula Vista North 0
La Jolla 6, Chula Vista North 4
Tecolote 11, Emerald 1
Monday, June 29
Ramona 8, Kimball Park (National City) 1
Tecolote 16, La Jolla 7
Wednesday, July 1
Challenger bracket final
Kimball Park (National City) 11, Tecolote 4
Championship game
Ramona 4, Kimball Park (National City) 3
Pony-13 Section Tournament
June 19-24 in Ramona
Eight teams entered (double-elimination): Chula Vista South Royal, Kimball Park (National City), Lakeside Gray, Emerald Black, Chula Vista North, Chula Vista South Navy, Emerald Green, Ramona
Friday, June 19
Kimball Park (National City) 7, Chula Vista South Royal 2
Emerald Black 25, Lakeside Gray 2
Saturday, June 20
Chula Vista South Navy 11, Chula Vista North 1
Ramona 9, Emerald Green 4
Chula Vista South Royal 18, Lakeside Gray 4
Emerald Black 7, Kimball Park (National City) 5
Sunday, June 21
Chula Vista North 7, Emerald Green 6
Chula Vista South Navy 16, Ramona 4
Kimball Park (National City) 11, Chula Vista North 4
Monday, June 22
Ramona 15, Chula Vista South Royal 7
Kimball Park (National City) 9, Ramona 0
Tuesday, June 23
Winners bracket final
Chula Vista South Navy 15, Emerald Black 4
Challenger bracket final
Emerald Black 8, Kimball Park (National City) 3
Wednesday, June 24
Championship game
Chula Vista South Navy 14, Emerald Black 9
Note: top four teams advance to region tournament in Lakeside (Chula Vista South Navy, Emerald Black, Kimball Park, Ramona)
Pony-14 Region Tournament
July 11-14 in Lakeside
Five teams entered (double-elimination): Lakeside (host), National City, Tecolote, La Jolla, Ramona
Saturday, July 11
National City 5, Lakeside 2
Tecolote 10, La Jolla 3.
Sunday, July 12
Ramona 7, Tecolote 5
La Jolla 9, Lakeside 8
La Jolla 5, Tecolote 0
Monday, July 13
Winners bracket final
National City 8, Ramona 4
Challenger bracket final
La Jolla 10, Ramona 8
Tuesday, July 14
Championship game
National City 5, La Jolla 2
Note: top fthree teams advance to super region tournament in Long Beach/West Covina (National City, La Jolla, Ramona)
Pony-13 Region Tournament
July 6-11 in Lakeside
Five teams entered (double-elimination): Lakeside, Emerald, National City, Ramona, Chula Vista South
Monday, July 6
Emerald 15, Lakeside 4
National City 6, Ramona 4
Tuesday, July 7
Chula Vista South 14, National City 4
Lakeside 14, Ramona 4
Wednesday, July 8
National City 11, Lakeside 0
Winners bracket final
Chula Vista South 10, Emerald 9
Thursday, July 9
Challenger bracket final
Emerald 1, National City 0
Saturday, July 11
Championship game
Chula Vista South 6, Emerald 2
Note: top fthree teams advance to super region tournament in Long Beach/Whittier (Chula Vista South Navy, Emerald Black, Kimball Park/National City)
Pony-13 Super Region Tournament
Thursday, July 16
South County-MV 18, San Gabriel 5
Quartz Hill Terror 16, Los Alamitos 6
Placentia 10, Quartz Hill 9
National City 8, Sierra Madre 1
Friday, July 17
Chula Vista South 17, Colton 2
Long Beach 10, Simi Valley 0
Upland A 4, Covina 2
Emerald 8, Heartwell 4
Saturday, July 18
Los Alamitos 14, San Gabriel 1
National City 6, Placentia 0
Quartz Hill 21, Sierra Madre 3
Covina 5, Heartwell 2
Sunday, July 19
South County-MV 11, Quartz Hill Terror 2
Chula Vista South 4, Long Beach 2
Simi Valley 8, Colton 1
Upland A 6, Emerald 3
Covina 13, Placentia 12
National City 19, Upland A 6
Covina 18, Emerald 7
Monday, July 20
Chula Vista South 6, South County-MV 2
Quartz Hill Terror 12, Long Beach 11
Covina 8, Upland A 3
Quartz Hill Terror 5, South County-MV 4
Tuesday, July 21
Chula Vista South 10, Covina 7
National City 10, Quartz Hill Terror 9
Covina 5, Quartz Hill Terror 3
Chula Vista South 2, National City 0 (Chula Vista South wins SoCal 1 slot to West Zone)
National City 13, Covina 8 (National City wins SoCal 2 slot to West Zone)
